Electric bells of reduced size fixed on the supporting frame for setting in combination with common electric controlling devices under the wall plaster



Feb. 27, 1968 ss m 3,371,340

ELECTRIC BELLS OF REDUCED SIZE FIXED ON THE SUPPORTING FRAME FOR SETTING IN COMBINATION WITH COMMON ELECTRIC CONTROLLING DEVICES UNDER THE WALL PLASTER Filed April 1, 1965 2 sheets sheet 1 INVENTOR. fikmnno B4uum Feb. 27, 1968, v E. BASSANI 3,371,340

ELECTRIC BELLS OF REDUCED SIZE FIXED ON THE SUPPORTING FRAME FOR SETTING IN COMBINATION WITH COMMON ELECTRIC' CONTROLLING DEVICES UNDER THE WALL PLASTER Filed April 1, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 r INVENTOR 15m flan-e;

mubu/ \fi u/Shlur ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofiice 3,371,340 Patented Feb. 27, 1968 3,371,340 ELECTRIC BELLS OF REDUCED SIZE FIXED ON THE SUPPORTING FRAME FOR SET- TING IN COMBINATION WITH COMMON ELECTRIC CONTROLLING DEVICES UNDER THE WALL PLASTER Ermanno Bassani, Corso di Porta Vittoria 9, Milan, Italy Filed Apr. 1, 1965, Ser. No. 444,711

Claims priority, application Italy, Apr. 11, 1964,

6 Claims. (Cl. 340-396) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A housing defines an interior chamber having an open end. A hollow sounding member is arranged in the chamber. An electromagnetic actuating arrangement is accommodated within the sounding member and is energizable to strike the latter so as to elfect sounding thereof. A supporting collar is provided with a cutout which accommodates the housing. An apertured cover overlies the open end of the housing. Coupling means is provided which couples the cover to the housing as well as to the supporting collar.

This invention relates to an electric bell, and more particularly to an electric bell of reduced size, which with the usual electric switches, plugs and the like can be mounted on a supporting frame, and then set under the wall plaster.

Previously, small bells used in homes and oifices, however attractive, have had to be mounted on the surface of walls. An advantage of the bell according to the invention is that it obviates such mounting problems by being small and having all its mechanical parts encased within the outer case. This reduction in size is also achieved without the necessity of a complex and expensive design.

According to the present invention there is provided an electric bell comprising: a casing of electrically insulating material, a cover provided with a grid to permit the escape of the sound waves, a collar which is used to join the casing to the cover, and by means of which the bell can be set up on a supporting frame alone or in combination with other electric controlling devices to be hidden as a common block under the wall plaster.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention will now be particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of the bell, shown enlarged;

FIG. 2 is a similar perspective view of the bell, but with cut away portions to show the internal construction of the bell;

FIGS. 3 and 4 show two different arrangements for mounting the bell; and

FIG. 5 is a vertical section through the novel bell shown in FIG. 2.

In said drawings FIGS. 1 and 2 show an embodiment of this invention comprising an open ended casing consisting of an insulating material which is substantially parallelepiped in shape; at the open end of the casing is a hollow cover 2 with a grid provided by small rods 3. The purpose of this grid is to allow the escape of the sound waves. Around the cover 2 a collar 4 is disposed, which by means of stirrups 5 clasps onto projections 6 provided for this purpose on said casing 1. The collar supports, at each end, tongues 7 and 8 which can have different lengths of projection.

Inside the casing 1 is the bell comprising a metallic shell 9 which has .an opening facing the grid. The electromagnetic equipment 10, and the hammer 11, which strikes the metallic shell 9 to produce a ringing sound, are housed within the metallic shell 9.

Terminals (not shown) at both ends of the electromagnet serve to connect the electric conductors for feeding the hell with the necessary electric energy.

In FIG. 3, the casing 1 is secured to a supporting frame 13 by means of the tongues 7 and 8. The frame 13 is provided with bored ribs 14 for fastening it by means of screws to a housing to be hidden under the wall plaster, or alternatively for anchoring it into a covering plate 17 (see FIG. 4) of the type usually provided where electric devices are to be set into the wall.

In FIG. 4 the frame 13 is of greater complexity than in FIG. 3, having openings for switches, of which the controlling levers 15 and 16 are visible, plugs and the like. The whole is covered by a cover plate 17, which is connec-ted to the frame by means of screws which are inserted through holes 18 into one of the threaded holes of ribs 14.

FIG. 5, which is a vertical longitudinal section through the bell, is self-explanatory and merely illustrates the various components on a larger scale and in more detail.

What I claim is:

1. An electric bell and housing structure comprising, in combination, housing means having an open end and defining an interior chamber accommodating a hollow sounding member; electromagnetic actuating means accommodated within said hollow sounding member and energizable for effecting sounding of said sounding member; support means adapted to accommodate said housing means; an apertured cover member overlying said open end; and cooperating coupling means for coupling said cover member to said housing as well as to said support means.

2. A structure as defined in claim 1, wherein said housing means consists of insulating material.

3. A structure as defined in claim 1, wherein said housing means is of parallelepiped outline.

4. A structure as defined in claim 1, wherein said cover member comprises a lid section provided with an aperture and having a plurality of bar-shaped portions extending across said aperture to define a grille therein, and a collar-section surrounding and engaging said lid section.

5. A structure as defined in claim 4, wherein said hollow sounding member is substantially cup-shaped and has an open side facing said aperture.

6. An electric bell and housing structure comprising, in combination, housing means having an open end and defining an interior chamber; a substantially cup-shaped sounding member received in said chamber and having an open side facing said open end; an electromagnetic arrangement disposed in said sounding member and including a striker member adapted to strike against said sounding member in response to energization of said electromagnetic arrangement; support means adapted to accommodate said housing means; an apertured cover member overlying said open end of said housing means; and cooperating coupling means for coupling said cover member to said housing as well as to said support means.

(References on following page) 3 4 Refergncgs Cited 2,916,733 12/1959 Hirsch 340-2 4 X 2,969,418 1/1961 Benander 174-53 X UNITED STATES PATENTS THOMAS A. ROBINSON, Primary Examiner.

1,803,233 4/1931 Charles 340-393 2,014,442 9/1935 Miller 340 393 5 NEIL READ Exam'ner- 2,038,075 4/1936 Edwards 174-53 X I. J. LEVIN, Assistant Examiner. 

